Hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to overturn his four-year prison sentence after being convicted on prostitution-related charges under the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting people across state lines for sexual crimes. His legal team appeared before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan on Thursday, arguing that the sentencing judge improperly factored in elements of charges for which Combs was acquitted.
The artist, 56, was cleared of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges that carried potential life sentences, yet received the longest prison term ever imposed for his lesser convictions. His lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, contended that Judge Arun Subramanian relied on evidence the jury had rejected, including allegations of fraud and coercion, in determining the sentence. The government, represented by Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik, maintained that the four-year, two-month term was in line with federal sentencing guidelines and comparable cases within the circuit.
During the hearing, Circuit Judge William J. Nardini described the case as “exceptionally difficult,” noting it raised novel legal questions for federal courts. The panel did not issue an immediate ruling after two hours of arguments.
Combs, who has been in federal custody since his September 2024 arrest, is currently held in New Jersey and is scheduled for release in April 2028. His defence team is also challenging the conviction itself, though arguments about First Amendment protections for filmed sexual encounters between his girlfriends and male sex workers were not addressed during the hearing.
The trial last year laid bare the private life of one of music’s most influential figures, with testimony detailing violent behaviour, drug use, and orchestrated sexual performances referred to as “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.” Combs did not testify, and his lawyers argued that prosecutors had stretched federal law to criminalise personal conduct.
The appeals court’s decision could have significant implications for how acquitted conduct is weighed in sentencing and for the boundaries of federal prosecution in cases involving complex personal relationships.
